Part of right speech is examining the motives for the thing's we say to others. So it really is in the TOS. Right speech is abstaining from lying, divisive speech, abusive speech, and from idle chatter. You don't need to examine your motivations in order to abstain from these things. You only need ...

Hence my question, how do I know the relative ease in which I find I can 'just sit' is not some sort of self delusion and I am in fact wasting my time? A great question. From a Zen perspective, is there even an answer? I hope so! Otherwise thats more of a quandary that I am prepared to hold. At lea...

It may be useful to make a distiction between the concepts of 'reward' and 'result'. A reward brings personal fulfillment, whereas a result provides a broader benefit, even if just to indicate that our practice is valid. I think it is reasonable to expect results when we dedicate ourselves to a prac...

It takes 20-30 years of strenuous pratice without any results... common person cannot do it, that way. Please let's not go putting people off shikantaza practice with scary talk of how austere it is. I can vouch that it doesn't have to be strenuous and that results are forthcoming, and I am as comm...

Hello everyone First post here and I hope that you will be able to offer some assurances regarding my practice. I sit in Shikantaza, I have been practicing hard for some time now. I thought for a while that everything was going 'ok'. But I am now overwhelmed with doubts as to the validity of my pra...

I like these explanations of Buddha nature given by Nonin, a teacher on Zen Forum International some years ago: Buddha Nature is the true, original nature of all beings -- awake, open, and undefiled by greed, hatred, and delusion. It is not a thing, but an original condition of all existence. So, al...

that is exactly what I'm suggesting. Abandoning of hope can only be done when you see clearly that what you hope for IS the problem. It is a form of grasping, of making a concept into a reality by chasing it. When you see your own grasping, you will eventually see that it is causing you to feel ina...

At some point, you have let these glimpses go because they will only take you in circles, give you hope, and continue the delusion extraordinaire. I will choose hope over confusion and despondency any day. I know them too well. You are assuming that if you subtract hope, you are left with confusion...

why can't someone please just explain Buddha nature in terms that is simple. Some seem to imply they know something everyone else does not know and go on in debate whilst implying they know..without ever really even trying to explain it. It makes no sense to do this sort of thing. Here is the best ...

:popcorn: Funny how Zen becomes unrecognisable in its own neighbourhood. Could you explain what you mean, for my edification? Only that (in my humble opinion) the spirit of Zen as a unique practice tradition is lost in the clamour of pan-Buddhist ideation. Or something. On a subforum dedicated to Z...